They don't make many actresses as good as Lori Fischer. They don't make many country singers as good as Lori Fischer. They don't make many writers who can write with the depth and insight into character of Lori Fischer, or create her range of melodies that can make you smile or make you feel pangs of emotion. This great talent is on view at the Lamb's Theater, where she stars in her musical, Barbara's Blue Kitchen. It's an amazing performance of an exposition of people in a little town in Tennessee. Fischer plays seven characters who come to or work in a luncheonette, each a distinct, unique creation, from the very old to the very young. You'd swear her ninety-year old is ninety, her young boy eight. Her final character is the dessert -- the icing. The play builds dramatic intensity sprinkled with Southern humor, and the songs will tickle you, move you. Kurt Zischke enhances everything as the guitarist/DJ. It is all highlighted by clear, clean directing by Martha Banta and good subtle lighting by Bobby Bradley.
Fischer is in a class with the best of them: Lily Tomlin, Whoopi Goldberg, Sarah Church, Eve Ensler. She's a treasure who should be seen by all, and here she's phenomenal in an unforgettable performance.
